San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-06-30
CMAPTER NV.


In a few minutes the regiments destined
10 carry out the thanking movements had
tramptd off in silence, keeping carefully I'M
der the lee of the rising ground, in order to
conceal the movement from the keen eyes of
TwaIa'S scouts.
Half an hour or more was allowed to
elapSe between the setting out of the horns
or wings of the army before any movement
was made by the Grays and the supporting
regiment, known as the BuifalOes, which
were destined to bear the bIumt OF the battle.
Both of these regiments We're almost per-
fectly fresh, and of full strength, the Grays
having been in reserve in the morning, and
having lost but a small number of men in
sweeping back that part of the attack which
had proved successful in breaking the line
Of defense, on the occasion when | charged
with them and got knocked silly for my
pains. As for the ButfalOes, they had
formed the third line of defense On the left,
and as the attacking force at that point had
not succeeded in breaking through the
second, had scarcely come into action at all.
lnfadOOS, who was 4 wary old general,
and knew the absolute importance of keep
ing up the spirits of his men on the eve of
such a desperate encounter, employed the
pause IN addressing his own regiment, the
Grays, in pOetical language; in explaining 10
them the honor that they were receiving in
being put thus in the forefront of the battle
and in having the great white warrior from
the stars to hight with them in their ranks,
aud in promising large rewards Of cattle and
promotion to all who survived in the event
of lgnOSi'S arms being successful.
Behold your kingw ended old InfadOOs.
pointing to lgnOSi; $50 fight and fall for
him as is the duty of brave men, and cursed
and shameful forever Ice the name of him
who shrinkS from death for his king. or who
turns his back to his enemy. Behold your
king! chiefs, captains, and soldiers; now do
your homage To tine sacred snake, and then
follow on that lncubu and | may show We
the road to the heart of Twala's forces
There was 4 moments pause, then sudden.
~ there rose from the Scrrini pha!anXrS he.
fore us a murmrfr AXE the distant whisper
of the sea. cdl> 1t by the genie tapping Of
the handles of six thousand spears against
their holders shields Slowly it sweIlcd,
till its growing volume drrpened and widen.
ed into roar of rolling noise, that echoed
like thunder AGAINST the mountains, and
filed the air with heavy waves of sound.
Then it decreased and slowly died away in.
TO nothing. and suddenly out crashed the
royal salute.
lgnuSi, | thought to myself might well be
proud man that day, for no Roman empe.
rOr ever had such Salutatiun from gladia.
tors about to die"
IgnOSi acknowledged this magnificent act
of homage by lifting his battl"-aX, and then
the Grays filed off in trplr-line formation,
each line containing about one thousand
fighting men, exclusive Of officers, When the
last line had gone some five hundred yards,
IguOsi put himself at the head of the BuIfa-
lOeS, which regiment w,tS drawn up in q
similar thrce-ine formation, and gave the
word to march, ard of we went, |, needless
to say uttcring the most heartfelt prayers
that | might come on. Of that jDJ win a
whole skin. Many queer position has. |
found m self IN, bat never b'f n in one
quite so unpleasant IT, the present or one in
which my chance of coming OIL ,af1 was 50
small
BY the TIM We reached the c.l.gr Of the
plateau the GrLyS werh alrr.ty alif-way
down the slope endin- IN the tongue Of
grassland that ran up into the bend Of the
mountain, something as tn frog of horses
foot runs up in the shoe. The excitement in
Twala's camp on the plain beyond was very
great, and regiment after regiment were
starting forward at a long swinging trot in
order to reach the root of the tongue of land
before the attacking force could emerge into
the plain of Loo.
This tongue of land, which was some three
hundred yards in depth, was even at its root
or widest part not more than one hundred
and fifty PAGES across while at its tip it
scarcely measured sixty. The Grays. who,
in passing down the side of the hill and on
to the tip of the tongue, had formed in
column, on reaching the spot where il
brOadPned out again TeaSsumed their triple
line formation, and halted dead,
Then we-that is. the BuifalOcs-mOved
down the tip of the tongue and took our
stand in reserve, about one hundred yards
behind the last line of the GrtyS, and on
slightly higher ground. Meanwhile we had
leisure TO observe TwaIa'S entire force,
which had evidently been reinforced since
the morning attack, and could not now, not
withstandlng their losses, number less than
forty thousand, moving swiftly toward us.
But as they drew near the root of the tongue
they hesitated, having discovered that only
one regiment could advance into the gorge at
a time, and that there, some seventy yards
from the mouth of it, unaSSailable except in
front, on account of the high walls Of bOwld-
er-strewn ground on either side, stood the
famous regiment of Grays, the pride and
glory of the Kukuana army, ready to hold
the way against their forces as the three RO.
mans once held the bridge against thou
sands. They heSitated and finally stopped
their advance; there was no eagerness to
cross spears with those three lines of grim
warriors who stood 81 firm and ready. Pre-
sently, however, tall general, with the Gus
tOmary head-drcss of mOddng OStrich-plumes
came running up, attended by group OF
chiefs and Orderlies, being, thought, none
other than Twala himself, and gave an order,
and the first regiment raised a shout, and
charged up toward the Grays, who remained
perfectly still and silent till the attacking
troops were within forty yards, and yOlley
Of tolIas or thruwmg-k came rafting
among their ranks.
Then suddenly with bound and a roar,
they sprung forward with uplifthd spears,
and the two regiments met in deadly strife.
Next second the roll Of the meeting shields
came to our ears like the sound of thunder
and the whole plain seemed TO be alive with
flashes of light reflected from the stabbing-
spears To and fro swung the heaving mass
of struggling. StaDbug humanity. but not for
III h Hl1fiD5lSf1